Stepping into lifelong learning

Over the past two years, the world has faced the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. While the economic situation is on the mend, the crisis served as a wake-up call - where 'business as usual' is not enough for anyone to boost the competitiveness, productivity and growth potential.

The EU strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth outlined in the document 'Europe 2020' has made one key prediction: by 2020, 16 million more jobs across the EU will require high qualifications, while the demand for low skills will drop by 12 million jobs. Malta will not be exempted. We need a workforce with better and higher qualifications.

When last year the Ministry of Education set up the Directorate for Lifelong Learning, the message was loud and clear - it is important to put lifelong learning high on the national agenda. We need to accept that knowledge is growing exponentially, and changes - technological and otherwise - will accelerate.

Lifelong learning is increasingly becoming crucial, but the rewards are likely to be great. No one can stop learning.

Besides offering second chance opportunities through day and evening courses for adults and fostering artistic talent to contribute to the resurging cultural industry, the directorate offers scholarships leading to high qualifications.

On May 1, the fourth call under the scheme entitled Strategic Educational Pathways Scholarships (Steps) opened. Part-financed by the EU'sEuropean Social Fund (ESF), it aims to empower people for a wider variety of jobs and a better quality of life.

The scheme was launched by Education Minister Dolores Cristina in January 2009. Three calls have been issued so far and 269 scholarships were awarded in just over 12 months - 212 for a Masters degree and 57 for research leading to a doctoral degree.

All specialisations are equally important to our economy but it is worth mentioning that almost 40 per cent of these scholarships were in the area of research and innovation in science and technology. The investment in the scholarships awarded so far amounts to just over €4 million.

The rationale behind Steps is to support an increase in the number of students following postgraduate courses, therefore increasing the availability and employment of high-level graduates in the priority sectors of the knowledge-based economy in Malta.

Four priority sectors were identified by the government. One of them is capacity-building in education. We need better qualified educationalists who are able to improve the quality of the curricula; to develop inclusive educational services; to develop professional capacity in quality assurance and education services; and those who are able to ensure responsiveness to the changing socio-economic needs of Malta.

The second priority area that Steps supports is to address skill mismatches, especially in the higher value added and expanding economic sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, aviation maintenance, financial services, health care, tourism and creative industries. Steps also support studies in the agricultural, fisheries and environment sectors.

The third priority sector is aimed at research and innovation in science and technology. There are three key areas which have been identified as vital for our knowledge-based economy. We need more people who specialise in environmental technologies and resources, such as in methods of energy efficiency and alternative energy, conservation of rainwater, efficient desalination, and waste rehabilitation technologies.

More expertise is required in high quality and value-added manufacturing services. The strategic emphasis is on building small-mediums enterprises as cluster elements.

Under the third priority area we acknowledge the need for further research in health bio-technology with a focus on bio-informatics relating to local health, including diabetes and asthma; development of human genetics and genealogy databases to support clinical trials, including pharmacognetics ones; and bio-technology, particularly bio-generic production and research, as a follow-on for generic pharmaceutical industry.

The fourth priority area is ICT. There is consensus that the ICT sector is an emergent thriving services sector that is contributing high-value-added inputs into the local economy. The Steps scheme is open to applicants who want to pursue studies related to software development in specialised areas such as bridging technologies, security, ground-breaking applications, hardware software, telecoms and satellite software, bio-informatics and tele-medicine, maritime management and specialised applications such as Geographic Information Systems.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to come forward as this scheme can support them financially. Steps is open for programmes of studies leading to masters (full-time, part-time or by distance learning) and those leading to doctoral (full-time only and up to a maximum of three years).

This being an ESF project, all scholarship awardees are to have their results by December 31, 2013. The value of scholarships to be awarded during the fourth call will amount to €3 million.

There are two tiers of payment. For the first two priority areas (capacity building in education and addressing skills mismatches), the bursary offers a maximum of €6,000 per annum for Masters on a full-time basis. For the third and fourth priority areas (research and innovation in science and technology and ICT), the scholarship amounts to a maximum of €13,000 per annum for Masters on a full-time basis.

Irrespective of the priority area, applicants who opt for studies through part-time or distance learning, the package amounts to €7,000 for the whole duration of the course.

For doctoral degrees, there is another two-tier system of support. For the first two priority areas, the bursary offers €8,500 per annum. For the third and fourth priority areas, the scholarship amounts to €22,000 per annum.

There are family-friendly measures to aid those scholarship awardees opting to obtain high qualifications.

It's never too late to learn. In fact, 23 per cent of those who were awarded a scholarship are aged over 30. So far, 49 per cent of those awarded a scholarship are already in employment or self-employed.

Steps encourages all those in possession of a first degree (second-class upper or higher) to consider this scheme.

Details are found on the website www.education.gov.mt/steps.htm or www.stepsmalta.eu.

In case of difficulty, e-mail steps.medc@gov.mt or phone on hotlines 2598 2513 or 2598 2263 or 2598 2111. The closing date is June 15 at noon.

Have your say

If you wish to contribute an article or would like a particular subject to be tackled in the Education section, call Davinia Hamilton on 2559 4513, or e-mail education@timesof malta .com.

Mr Azzopardi is director for Lifelong Learning.